Rogers Jr. pleads not guilty

By Greg Johnson

Frontiersman

PALMER — A man accused of using a machete to kill his father and viciously assault his father’s fiancee pleaded not guilty Monday to eight felony charges, including first- and second-degree murder.

Christopher Erin Rogers Jr., 28, was led into Courtroom B at the Palmer courthouse wearing a yellow jumpsuit and shackled to defendants making appearances in other cases. He showed little emotion, conversing briefly with a public defender, who entered the not guilty plea to charges handed down in a Friday indictment.

Rogers was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, motor vehicle theft and second-degree theft. The charges stem from the first part of a 26-hour violent rampage that began at his father’s Palmer home in the early morning hours of Dec. 2. He allegedly confessed to Anchorage police he attacked his father, Christopher E. Rogers Sr., and his father’s fiancee, Elann Moren, with a machete before stealing his father’s truck and .357-caliber magnum handgun. Rogers Jr. then allegedly fled to Anchorage, where, over the course of about a day, shot three other people, killing one.

Ronda Marcy, a longtime friend of Moren’s and a spokesperson for the family, was in the courtroom Monday and said seeing Rogers for the first time since before the Dec. 2 attacks was difficult.

“That was a little more emotional than I thought it would be,” she said. “It made my blood pressure [spike]. I guess you may call that suppressed rage.”

Marcy has been friends with Moren and her family for about 10 years and said her friend is keeping a positive attitude while recovering from the injuries inflicted by the machete attack.

“Elann’s a positive force person,” she said.

As part of her recovery, Moren is preparing to have surgery Wednesday to replace her right elbow, which was severely damaged during the attack, Marcy said. She also suffered severe and hard blows to the head, arms and both legs.

As a spokesperson for the family and those who knew the couple (who celebrated the first year of their relationship the night before the assault), Marcy said she wants to make it clear neither Rogers Sr. nor Moren provoked or goaded Rogers Jr.

“I’m really wanting people to know Elann and Chris in no way brought this on themselves,” she said.

A trial for charges stemming from the Palmer attacks has been set to begin at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 11, 2008, with District Court Judge Vanessa White.